Cleveland's early success came from its location near several springs and water sources. Andrew Taylor, who had married a Cherokee woman, had built a log cabin on what is now occupied by the post office downtown. His home was known by settlers as "Taylor's Place" and became a favored stopping point for travelers.[13] Cleveland was incorporated on February 4, 1842.[13]

Much of the city's terrain is made up of paralleling ridges, including Candies Creek Ridge (also called Clingan Ridge), Mouse Creek/Blue Springs Ridge, and Lead Mine Ridge which are extensions of the Appalachian Mountains (specifically part of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians) that run approximately north-northeast through the city. Several streams run in the valleys between the ridges including Candies Creek, located west of Clingan ridge, and Mouse Creek, between Mouse Creek and Lead Mine Ridge.

Cleveland is divided into five major regions: Central Cleveland (also called Downtown Cleveland), Northern Cleveland (also called North Cleveland), Western Cleveland, East Cleveland, and South Cleveland. East and South Cleveland are census-designated places within the city limits. There are no official borders between the other divisions. Central Cleveland encompasses the business district and surrounding residential area including the Stuart Heights and Annadale neighborhoods. Northern Cleveland has come to be the location for most of the city's retail shops and private interests. In addition, it is a major residential division, made up of Burlington Heights, Fairview, and Sequoia Grove neighborhoods. Western Cleveland is entirely residential. Much of it is an extension of the city limits westward to encompass populous neighborhoods including Hopewell Estates and Rolling Hills. East and South Cleveland are both residential and industrial divisions. People living in East Cleveland tend to be less privileged. South Cleveland is the densest populated part of town. People who live in these regions are sometimes referred to as being "isolated" from the rest of the city, as they work in that part of town and most of their economy comes from retail and businesses in the southern part of the city.

Infrastructure[edit]

Government[edit]

The city of Cleveland operates under a council/manager form of government with a mayor, city manager and seven council members. The current mayor is Tom Rowland, who has held that position since September 9, 1991, the longest in Cleveland's history, and the city manager is Janice Casteel. Elections take place every even year. The city is divided into five districts which are served each by a councilman along with two who serve at-large.

District

Councilman

District 1

Charlie McKenzie

District 2

Bill Estes

District 3

Avery L. Johnson

District 4

David May, Jr.

District 5

Dale R. Hughes

At-large 1

George Poe, Jr.

At-large 2

Richard L. Banks

Public safety[edit]

The Cleveland Fire Department is an all-paid professional department. It currently consists of 90 highly trained personnel and 5 stations, and serves an estimated 67,135 people. The current chief is Steve Haun.[15] The Cleveland Police department currently has 91 Certified Police Officers, two Codes Enforcement Officers and 11 full-time civilian employees, along with one part-time civilian employee, 13 School Crossing Guards and eight Animal Control employees. They also maintain a Volunteer Program consisting of a 15 member Public Service Unit and a nine member Chaplain Unit. The Chief of Police is David Bishop.[16]

Healthcare[edit]

Cleveland's two main hospitals are Bradley Memorial Hospital and Cleveland Community Hospital. They have been managed by SkyRidge Medical Center since 2006.[17] Bradley Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center is a nursing home that serves the county. Bradley County Emergency Medical Services is an emergency medical service (EMS) agency of the county government and consists of three stations, eleven ambulances, and six ancillary vehicles, along with 61 full-time employees and 32 part-time employees.[18]

Utilities[edit]

Cleveland Utilities is the major department which provides services to Cleveland residents. They provide electric, water, and sewage services.

Public works[edit]

The Public Works Department performs the most varied actions of all the city departments. It has approximately 51 employees. The department is responsible for the city’s fleet operation, sign maintenance and design, and street markings. The current director is Tommy Myers.[19]

Parks and recreation[edit]

Several public recreational parks are located within or near Cleveland.[20] They are all maintaned by the Cleveland Parks and Recreation department. They allow a variety of activities, and some organized sports teams compete at them. The Cleveland/Bradley County Greenway is an approximately 4.4 mile long greenway path which follows South Mouse Creek from downtown to neighborhoods in the northern part of the city.[21] Other facilities include the Bradley County Park, Kenneth L. Tinsley Park, Mosby Park, Pritchard Park, Deer Park, College Hill Recreation Center, Northeast Recreation Center, Johnston Park, Leonard Fletcher Park, Cleveland Family YMCA, and the South Cleveland Community Center.

Transportation[edit]

Air[edit]

Hardwick Field, also known as Cleveland Municipal Airport, was the principal airport from 1955 to 2013.[22][23]Cleveland Regional Jetport, located approximately two miles east of Hardwick Field opened on January 25, 2013, replacing Hardwick Field.[24] It consists of a 5,500-by-100-foot (1,676 by 30 m) runway.[24]

History[edit]

The U.S. 11 Bypass (Keith Street) was built in the mid 1960s to relieve congestion of passing traffic downtown. S.R. 60 originally turned southward at the first intersection east of the interstate and ran together with U.S. 64 through downtown, but was moved to 25th Street in the early 1970s, which ended at Ocoee Street (U.S. 11). APD-40 was built in the late 1960s and early 1970s to divert traffic passing through downtown around the city. Sgt. Paul Huff Parkway, a major thoroughfare in the northern part of the city, was built between Georgetown Road (S.R. 60) and North Lee Highway (U.S. 11) in the mid to late 1980s to provide a focal point for new businesses and an easier access to industries in the northeastern corner of the city.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is currently rebuilding the I-75 interchange with APD-40 (exit 20), as the current conditions cause traffic to back up across the existing two-lane overpass and on the ramps. A reported 17,000 vehicles traverse this bridge daily. Plans are to demolish the existing structure and build a new six-lane bridge. The ramps will also be lengthened. The project is expected to be completed by November 2015.[25] APD-40 has also been reported to be the road where the most roadway accidents and fatalities occur in Bradley County.[citation needed]

There were 15,037 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 15.4% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,098, and the median income for a family was $40,150. Males had a median income of $30,763 versus $21,480 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,316. About 11.3% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy[edit]

This section is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2014)

Cleveland is the location for the corporate headquarters of Life Care Centers of America, the largest privately held nursing facility company in the United States. Check Into Cash Inc., the largest privately held payday loan company in the United States, was founded in Cleveland in 1993 by businessman Allan Jones.[29]Hardwick Clothes, the oldest tailor-made clothing maker in America, was founded in 1880 and has been headquartered in Cleveland for over 130 years.[30] In addition to corporate businesses, there are several retail stores, most located in the northern part of the city. The Bradley Square Mall is a shopping mall with over 50 tenants.

Attractions[edit]

Craigmiles Hall was used as an opera house for several decades.

Tourism is a major part of Cleveland's income. Several attractions in and around Cleveland attract visitors from all over the country. Perhaps the Cherokee National Forest in Polk County is responsible for the majority of the income. The forest yields many outdoor activities. Two rivers, the Ocoee and Hiwassee, flow through the forest. Thousands of people travel to the area every year to raft these rivers. Red Clay State Park is a historical site just above the Georgia state line. The Cherokee Indians took council here upon being driven out of Georgia. The Museum Center at Five Points is a history museum and cultural center which features exhibits on the Ocoee Region and surrounding areas.[33] The Ocoee Regional Nature Center is a state-certified arboretum. It houses over 100 types of trees, plants, flowers, and shrubs.[citation needed]

Events[edit]

The MainStreet Cleveland Halloween Block Party draws more than 20,000 people to the city every year. The event began in 1988 as a candy handout at the Cleveland Police Department and Centenary Avenue, and has grown to one of the largest events in Cleveland, featuring live music, food stands and a costume contest.[34] Cleveland’s mayor, Tom Rowland, has dubbed the city the “Halloween capital of the world.”

Cleveland is also famous for Tall Betsy, the official Halloween goblin of Bradley County. For years, Tall Betsy’s Halloween night appearance drew large crowds to Cleveland’s Centenary Avenue. The growing crowds inspired MainStreet Cleveland to organize the Halloween Block Party around the event. Local businessman Allan Jones created the modern legend from tales of the Tall Betsy goblin that his grandmother told him as a child. The original legend dates back to the 19th century, with print references in the Cleveland Daily Herald dating as far back as 1892. In 1998, Tall Betsy retired after drawing a crowd of over 25,000 people, but came back in 2005 to celebrate her 25th anniversary.[35][36] The Cleveland Apple Festival, begun in 2002, is an annual family event held on the third weekend of October.[37] This festival offers a juried art and craft show, live bluegrass music, food booths, pony and a hayride, entertainment, contests and children's activities. Unlike many festivals of its kind in the U.S., The Cleveland Apple Festival does not charge for children to participate in the various children's activities provided in the children's area. The festival is a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Achievements[edit]

Jones Wrestling Center

Cleveland High School has one of the most successful football programs in Tennessee. It has the second longest winning streak in Tennessee high school football history with fifty-four consecutive wins between 1993 and 1996. The Blue Raiders have also achieved four state championships in 1968, 1993, 1994, and 1995.[citation needed]

The Cleveland High School and Bradley Central wrestling teams traditionally dominate the state wrestling championships. The Bradley Central Bears have won 22 state championships in the Dual and Traditional categories since 1994.[39] The Cleveland Blue Raiders, based at the state-of-the-art Jones Wrestling Center, have won Traditional Championships in 2011, 2013 and 2014, and runner-up in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.[40]

In 2013, Cleveland City Council presented a resolution honoring the Cleveland High School wrestling team and declared Feb. 25 as “Blue Raider Wrestling Day.” The Blue Raiders earned the title of 2013 state champions for the second time in three years after winning the 2013 TSSAA Division I Traditional State Championships in Franklin on Feb. 16 and the State Duals Finals on February 2. The team was runner-up in both the duals and state tournaments in 2012, after claiming the traditional title in 2011.[41]